A Photographic Reference for Wire and Wireless Telegraph Key
Collectors
and Historians

by Neal McEwen, K5RW

The Photo Gallery consists of photos of telegraph keys, bugs,
sounders,
and related wire and wireless telegraph artifacts for identification
and
reference purposes. Where known, the maker and approximate date
of
manufacture are given to assist in identifying similar items.

All photos are copyrighted. Non-profit organizations and
individuals
may link to them, given proper recognition to The Telegraph
Office.
Those parties with pecuniary interests must seek permission to use.

Radiotelegraph keys --Radiotelegraph
keys were used with CW transmitters and were usually in the cathode
circuit
or keyed a low level stage. They did not need the voltage and current
requirements
of the spark key.

Pre-1920 Bugs
-- Horace Martin introduced the semi-automatic
key, or
'bug' as it is more commonly called in, 1905. Many worked around the
Martin
patents with their own design, while other copied the design in
violation
of the patents.

Electro-Bug,
Jr.: c 1928. This is the same Electro-Bug without the magnet and
was
made for the amateur radio market.

Bunnell Gold Bug made by J.H. Bunnell of New York.
The
Gold Bug
was very attractive but very poor handling. They were difficult to sell
and some were even given away by a radio house with a $15 order. About
1200 were made.

Horace
G. Martin 'Rotoplex': c . 1943. Serial number 21. Made by James
Clark
Jr. Electric Co. of Louisville, Kentucky. An Army Airways
Communications
Service bug.

Wilson
SA-100: c. W.W.II. A right hand and left hand bug used by Royal
Canadian
Air Force. The rubber feet on top of the bug allow it to be turned
upside
down for lefties. Note resemblance to Logan SPEED-X bugs.

Sounders and Resonators
-- Sounders are electromechanical devices that
make the
dot and dash sounds for landline American Morse operators. Resonators
amplified
or directed the sound; they were especially useful in large offices so
an operator could here the correct 'wire.'

Relays, Repeaters and
Registers
-- Relays and repeaters were electromechanical
amplifiers
used to boost weak signals on land lines. Registers were very early
devices
used to copy American Morse code before the sounder was invented. Dots
and dashes were traced onto a moving paper and later transcribed into a
telegram..